Visit

Location

We welcome the general public to use our café and lobby spaces to work, lounge, and gather. The main lobby is accessible via the East entrance facing campus.

Navigate to 50 8th Street in Troy, NY 12180, which leads to a valet circle with two EMPAC visitor spaces, two ADA parking spaces, and zero-barrier access to the main lobby.

Building and Box Office Hours

  • Building: Monday–Friday: 9AM–5PM
  • Box Office: Monday–Friday: 11AM–4PM
  • Additional open hours around events and exhibitions.
  • Closed Memorial, Juneteenth, Independence, Labor, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and day after, Christmas week, New Years, Martin Luther King, and President's Day.

Event Admission

  • All EMPAC events are either $5 or free. Admission is always free with an RPI ID.
  • Tickets are available in advance through our website. We release unclaimed seats five minutes before the start of each event. Even when a performance is sold out, a few seats may become available due to cancellations or no-shows. If you've reserved a ticket and can no longer attend, please let us know so we can offer your seat to someone else.
  • TICKETS TICKETS / Box Office: 518.276.3921 / Contact Us

Pay What You Wish

It costs EMPAC between $100 and $250 per audience member to present many of our programs, just to cover fees, travel, and materials. We believe that cost should never be a barrier to experiencing art, which is why we've made our events either $5 or free.

If you're able to contribute more, we invite you to pay what you wish. Your generosity helps us support artists, keep our programs accessible, and sustain this experiment.

Parking

Parking is available in the College Avenue Parking Garage during EMPAC events. For visits outside event hours, parking is $1 per hour. Please purchase a guest pass for “College Ave – Visitors Parking” at aimsmobilepay.com. Electric vehicle charging stations are located at the southeast end of the garage.

Please note that street parking on College Avenue can be hazardous in icy conditions. The street is steep, and cars frequently slide downhill during the winter. Street parking on 8th Street is also limited, particularly on weekdays.

Accessibility

We want everyone to feel welcome at EMPAC and are happy to help make your visit as comfortable and accessible as possible.

All four EMPAC venues are accessible by public elevators inside the building. However, elevator access from the 8th Street entrance is not always available. We are working to maintain access to the freight elevator at this entrance, but when it is unavailable, visitors entering from 8th Street must climb several flights of stairs to reach the nearest public elevator on Level 3.

If you require step-free access, please contact us before your visit so we can help you plan the most accessible route into the building.

We can arrange accessible parking and two-for-one tickets for wheelchair users and their companions. Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs) can also be accommodated through our audio mixing systems.

For accessibility questions or requests, please reach out in advance through our contact form or by calling 518.276.3921 (voice only). We're happy to work with you to make the appropriate arrangements.

Once you arrive, our ushers are available to help you navigate the building. Just stop by the welcome desk for assistance.

Filming, Photography, & Recording

We ask that you be considerate of both the artists and your fellow audience members.

Artists depend on their work for their livelihoods, so please check with EMPAC staff before filming or recording a performance. We'll be happy to request permission from the artist.

A quick photograph without flash is generally fine, provided it doesn't interrupt the performance or distract others. When in doubt, please ask.

If you share your experience, we'd love for you to tag @empac_rpi. Thank you for helping us support the artists and the experience of everyone in the room!

Transportation

Dining

Peruse our dining guide and get a bite before or after your event.

Where to stay

Hilton Garden Inn, Troy is EMPAC's preferred hotel partner.